William Miller (preacher)

William Miller (15 February 1782-20 December 1849) was an American Baptist preacher and the founder of the Adventist movement. In 1843, he believed that the coming of Jesus was imminent, leading to the "Great Disappointment".

Biography
William Miller was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts in 1782, and he fought in the War of 1812 before becoming a farmer. Once a lapsed Baptist, he returned to his faith, and he left the Freemasons in 1831 to ensure that his only loyalty was to God. During the Second Great Awakening, he became the leader of the Adventist movement, which preached that the second comming of Jesus was imminent, and that he would judge the people's sins. This was predicted to occur in either 1843 or 1844, and he would have a 1,000-year reign after his arrival. He also believed that Saturday, not Sunday, was the Sabbath day. In 1844, he twice failed to predict the coming of Jesus, and he continued to believe that his coming was imminent until his death in 1849. His followers became the Adventist movement.